Clay Gordon is a noted observer and critic in the worlds of cocoa and chocolate, work he has pursued for more than twenty years. He has been participating in, helping organise, and running industry awards programs and competitions since 2004. His first experience was as an assistant to the organisers of the World Pastry Forum and National & World Pastry Team Championships held in the US. He was the head judge in the Next Generation Chocolatier Competition, the Legends of Chocolate Awards for The Big Chocolate Show, for the Craft Chocolat Challenge and in the first Best Cacaos of Tabasco (Mexico) awards. He was a member of the committees that formulated the original rules for the chocolate and confectionery categories for the Good Food Awards and has been a judge in Americas, Perú, and World rounds of the International Chocolate Awards and the Prêmio Bean to Bar Brasil.